This just in: Testing and government mandates are stifling creativity in the classroom, according to parents and educators surveyed in report released by Adobe.
Last February, Adobe commissioned a survey of 4,000 adults--half teachers, half parents in grade up through university--on their impressions of education in the US, UK, Germany and Australia.
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In many ways, the broad results will not surprise anyone: Just about everyone (or more than 85% of parents and educators) feel that to "foster creativity" in schools will force changes in how schools work.
Exactly what kinds of changes should happen, however, stirs more debate.
Q: What do you believe is the biggest barrier to teaching creativity in education?
US parents worry the most about testing, followed by US teachers. By contrast, 15-17% of educators in Germany, the UK and Australia put the blame on "the current education curriculum." All other responses received something less than 15% of those surveyed.
Educators, especially in the US, also feel that they can do more to teach creativity--particularly with more resources:
By contrast, most teachers in the other three countries surveyed said that teaching creativity is somebody else's job--namely another educator.
The "single most important step" said respondents to promoting and fostering creativity? There's a divide with parents believing the answer is tools and training, and teachers who want to see creativity as more integral to the curriculum. Notably, parents--far more than teachers--said that "rewarding educators" was the first right step.
Q: What do you believe would be the single most important step to promote and foster creativity in education?
